The Riftbreaker

Last updated
The Riftbreaker
Developer(s) EXOR Studios
Publisher(s) EXOR Studios
Platform(s)
ReleaseOctober 14, 2021
Genre(s) Real-time Strategy, Action
Mode(s) Single-player

The Riftbreaker is an action and real-time strategy video game developed and published by Polish company EXOR Studios. It was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S on October 14, 2021.

Contents

The player controls a human named Ashley navigating a machine called Mr. Riggs. Gameplay consists of the player building bases on a distant planet with walls, energy sources, mining resources, and defense turrets, among other structures, in order to secure a new home for humanity. At the same time, the player must use weapons crafted through research to engage in combat with enemy creatures that attack base structures.

The game received positive reviews from critics for its mixture of base building strategy and intense action encounters.

Gameplay

The player must explore the planet Galatea 37 to find resources that enable construction of crucial base buildings. These structures provide necessary functions such as research, energy, and ammunition. The research is guided by a tech tree where the player can specify what to research next. Different research tracks unlock newer and better weapons that the player can equip or better base structures such as plasma or artillery turrets. Eventually the player must warp to other locations on the planet to mine more rare elements such as uranium and titanium.

Occasionally, the player will be warned of an imminent attack by the local fauna. A short period later, waves of creatures will attack the base, with the attacks becoming more difficult as the game progresses. As long as the player has built a portal, they can respawn there upon death while dropping a weapon at the location they died. However, there is a hardcore mode that means the game is over when the player dies.

Reception

According to the Metacritic review aggregator, The Riftbreaker received "generally favorable" reviews. [4] [5] Travis Northup of IGN gave the game and 8 out of 10, declaring it to be a "fantastic blend of real-time strategy and bullet hell combat that provides an intense challenge and an addictive RPG loop." [2] Lennard Fink of PC Games, in a 90 out of 100 review, found the game to be an "extremely well-done genre mix with massive battles and fantastic graphics." [3] Rainer Hauser of Gamestar awarded the game 83 out of 100, recommending the game to those who like "both fast action and classic base building." [1]

Related Research Articles

<i>Unreal II: The Awakening</i> 2003 video game

Unreal II: The Awakening is a first-person shooter video game developed by Legend Entertainment and published by Infogrames under the Atari brand for Microsoft Windows, the game was later ported to Microsoft's Xbox console by Tantalus. It is the sequel to the 1998 video game Unreal and part of the franchise of the same name. Cliff Bleszinski was an executive producer for the title.

<i>Area 51</i> (2005 video game) 2005 video game

Area 51 is a science fiction first-person shooter video game that was released in 2005. It was developed by Midway Studios Austin and published by Midway for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Microsoft Windows. A Nintendo GameCube version was also in development but was silently canceled. It is a loose remake of the 1995 light gun video game of the same name, and was followed in 2007 by the loosely related BlackSite: Area 51. The player controls Ethan Cole, a HAZMAT operative sent to the Area 51 base to assist in the cleanup of a mutagenic virus.

<i>Sins of a Solar Empire</i> 2008 video game

Sins of a Solar Empire is a 2008 science fiction real-time strategy video game developed by Ironclad Games and published by Stardock Entertainment for Microsoft Windows operating systems. It is a real-time strategy (RTS) game that incorporates some elements from 4X games; its makers describe it as "RT4X". Players are given control of a spacefaring empire in the distant future, and are tasked with conquering star systems using military, economic and diplomatic means.

<i>Haegemonia: Legions of Iron</i> 2002 video game

Haegemonia: Legions of Iron, or Hegemonia: Legions of Iron, is a 3D real-time strategy game developed by Digital Reality for Microsoft Windows, and by Microïds for OS X, iOS, and Android.

<i>Section 8</i> (video game) 2009 first-person shooter video game

Section 8 is a first-person shooter developed by TimeGate Studios and published by SouthPeak Games. It utilizes the Unreal Engine 3 and was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It was released in September 2009 for Xbox 360 and PC, and for the PlayStation 3 on March 25 in North America and April 15, 2010, in the PAL region.

<i>Supreme Commander 2</i> 2010 video game

Supreme Commander 2 is a real-time strategy (RTS) video game developed by Gas Powered Games and published by Square Enix as the sequel to Supreme Commander. A Windows-only demo was initially released via Steam on February 24, 2010, with the full game released on March 2, 2010.

<i>Star Wars: Battlefront</i> (2004 video game) 2004 action shooter video game

Star Wars: Battlefront is a 2004 first and third-person shooter video game based on the Star Wars film franchise. Developed by Pandemic Studios and published by LucasArts, it is the first game in the Star Wars: Battlefront series. It was released on September 21, 2004, for PlayStation 2, Xbox and Microsoft Windows to coincide the release of the Star Wars Trilogy DVD set. It is also available for purchase on both the Xbox 360 and Xbox One through their backwards compatibility features. Aspyr released a Mac OS X port in July 2005, and a cellular phone version, Star Wars Battlefront Mobile, was released November 1, 2005. A sequel, Star Wars: Battlefront II, was released on November 1, 2005, for Windows, Xbox, PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable. The game is primarily played as a conquest game, however other modes such as Galactic Conquest bring strategy elements to the title.

<i>R.U.S.E.</i> 2010 video game

R.U.S.E. is a real-time strategy video game developed by Eugen Systems and published by Ubisoft which was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360, in September 2010. The game was subsequently released for macOS through Steam on November 15, 2011. R.U.S.E. is a strategic war game set during World War II and focuses on the invasion of Nazi Germany during late 1944. The campaign includes many historical and some fictional events. It focuses on information warfare instead of a brute-force approach. Players can use a series of ruses and decoys to trick their enemies and change the outcome of the battles. However, the outcome of the battles in the game also relies quite heavily on how a player manages their economy and which units they use. In December 2015, Ubisoft pulled the game from Steam due to the expiration of the military license. In 2018, the Xbox 360 version was released on Xbox One via backwards compatible release.

<i>Alien Breed 2: Assault</i> 2010 video game

Alien Breed 2: Assault is a video game in Team17's Alien Breed series and is the second new title in the series since 1996 after Alien Breed Evolution. It was released on Steam, Xbox Live Arcade, and PlayStation Network in 2010. The follow-up Alien Breed 3: Descent was released on 17 November 2010.

<i>Dungeon of the Endless</i> 2014 video game

Dungeon of the Endless is a roguelike tower defense game developed by Amplitude Studios. It is the third game of their loosely connected Endless series, which includes Endless Space and Endless Legend. It was released in October 2014 for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X systems, August 2015 for iOS devices, and for Xbox One in March 2016. The PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch ports were released in May 2020. A revamped version for iOS and Android devices, called Dungeon of the Endless: Apogee, launched in March 2021.

RimWorld is a construction and management simulation video game developed and published by Canadian-based developer Ludeon Studios. Originally called Eclipse Colony, it was initially released as a Kickstarter crowdfunding project in early access for Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux in November 2013, and was released on October 17, 2018. The game was released for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One as RimWorld Console Edition on July 29, 2022, with development and publishing being handled by Double Eleven. Rather than a test of skill or a challenge, the game is intended to serve as an AI-powered "story generator", where the game is used as the medium for players to experience narrative adventures. The game has received generally positive reviews from critics.

<i>Worms W.M.D</i> 2016 video game

Worms W.M.D is a 2D artillery turn-based tactics video game in the Worms series, released on 23 August 2016. Its gameplay resembles that of Worms Armageddon more than subsequent installments, while adding new features that range from interactive vehicles such as tanks, to buildings that the worms can enter for protection. It is also notable for being the first major redesign the worm characters have received since Worms 3D.

<i>Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance</i> 2021 video game

Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance is a third-person action role-playing game published by Wizards of the Coast and developed by its subsidiary Tuque Games. Based on the Dungeons & Dragons tabletop role-playing system, the title of the game alludes to Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance and Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II, although its story and gameplay are not related to those earlier titles. The game was released in June 2021 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

<i>Warhammer 40,000: Darktide</i> 2022 video game

Warhammer 40,000: Darktide is a first-person action video game set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, developed and published by Fatshark. It is a spiritual successor to Warhammer: Vermintide series. It was released for Microsoft Windows on 30 November 2022. It also was released for Xbox Series X/S on 4 October 2023.

<i>Evil Dead: The Game</i> 2022 video game

Evil Dead: The Game is a 2022 asymmetric survival horror game developed by Saber Interactive and published by Boss Team Games. It is part of the Evil Dead franchise. It features Bruce Campbell as Ash Williams, along with most of the original cast reprising their roles.

<i>Hood: Outlaws & Legends</i> 2021 video game

Hood: Outlaws & Legends is an action video game developed by Sumo Newcastle and published by Focus Home Interactive. The game was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X and Series S on May 10, 2021.

<i>Necromunda: Hired Gun</i> 2021 video game

Necromunda: Hired Gun is a 2021 first-person shooter video game developed by Streum On Studio and published by Focus Home Interactive. The game is based on Games Workshop's 1995 tabletop game Necromunda. The game is set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, and takes place on the mechanized planet of Necromunda, where the player works for various factions in the planet's criminal underworld. Necromunda was released on 1 June 2021 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S and Microsoft Windows.

<i>Meet Your Maker</i> 2023 video game

Meet Your Maker is a first-person shooter video game developed and published by Behaviour Interactive. In the game, players are tasked to build and raid user-generated outposts filled with traps and guards. The game was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S in April 2023.

<i>High on Life</i> (video game) 2022 video game

High on Life is a comedic first-person shooter game with action-adventure and Metroidvania elements. It takes place in a science fiction world which features talking guns. It was created by Justin Roiland and developed and published by Squanch Games. The game was released on December 13, 2022 for Microsoft Windows, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. It was later ported to PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 on July 22, 2023. The game received mixed reviews from critics, who were divided on its humour, while criticising the technical issues upon launch.

<i>Endless Dungeon</i> 2023 video game

Endless Dungeon is a tower defense twin-stick shooter video game developed by Amplitude Studios and published by Sega. The game is a successor to Dungeon of the Endless (2014) and was released on October 19, 2023 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X and Series S.

References

  1. 1 2 Hauser, Rainer (March 12, 2022). "The Riftbreaker ist so gut, dass ich es nach dem Test gleich weiterspiele". GameStar . Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  2. 1 2 Northup, Travis (March 12, 2022). "The Riftbreaker Review". IGN . Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  3. 1 2 Fink, Lennard (March 12, 2022). "The Riftbreaker im Test: Bombastischer Genremix auf Galatea 37, Seite 2". PC Games . Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  4. "The Riftbreaker for PC Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  5. "The Riftbreaker for Xbox Series X Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved March 11, 2022.